Walking in a Winter Wonderland...huh?

For those of you reading this from anywhere outside of Alabama...allow me to explain the physics of our winter weather.

Weatherman: There is an upperlevel disturbance here in central Alabama...this disturbance has a cold front following it...if the cold front comes as expected we may see some winter weather here in Birmingham.

Translation: It is raining outside...going to get cold...if a shot in hell occurs we will get snow in Birmingham.

Result: There are no parking places at Publix, no bread, no milk but PLENTY of people running into you in Publix as if the second coming is scheduled for 8:00 that night.

Now here comes the even more interesting part. If that shot in hell does occur...if we actually do get a snowflake...the city shuts down...mass chaos ensues and the tv networks are held hostage by photographs of dogs in their backyards and writing on the backs of cars. That is a simplistic version of winter weather here in Birmingham.

This weekend was not an exception to this pattern either. Friday we had the upperlevel disturbance. Oh boy did we ever! I was on the highway coming home and thought the world was coming to an end! The way people were driving was absolutely freakish! There was one particular incident that comes to my mind. An 18-wheeler was swerving around people. He may say passing...I saw him...I say swerving. Well, he almost swerved right into an F-something too big for any person- truck. The truck caught themselves at the last chance and avoided the concrete divider. Then he (we are assuming a he here folks although how some women drive SUVs really could make me wonder!) proceeded to slam the gas and chase the 18-wheeler...oh yeah...during all of this you could not see to drive for the rain and there was a tornado about 10 miles away. Crazy I tell you!

Saturday comes. We decide to go to Atlanta (no, not Hotlanta everyone, Atlanta) for the day. Apparently we were supposed to see this disturbance again that day (or at least everyone was telling us) or we were going to get snowed in while in Atlanta. Yes, you read that right...either we were going to tornado alley or we were gonna go sledding. Huh? Once again...the dynamics of winter weather here. You never know what you will run into. Well, we decided that the tornado could not be as bad as the day before and snowed in...well that might not be too bad. Worst case...get a hotel in Buckhead. We ended up having sunshine and low 60s the entire day in Atlanta. While there we went to Ikea. Oh my gosh! Why oh why have I not been there before now?! Now that I have found it I think I need to take monthly pilgrimage to the land of the Swedes (which is only fitting since I drive a Volvo). Like a kid in a candy shop I was going from gizmo to gadget to chair to painting and wanting it all! We compromised though. Easel (and a few gizmos) today and a trip minus one three year old later this week or next. I am excited! This place is awesome! Note to everyone out there who like me has been Ikea deprived...go forth and spread the word...go to Ikea...you will not be let down!

Once we get back in town late that evening I told my husband I needed to pickup a prescription on our way home. We stopped by Publix to do just that. As we drive into the parking lot something was amiss. That many people could not have waited to do their weekend shopping! until then! As we are walking through I see the tell-tale signs of a cold front coming...no parking...no bread...no milk. Either the end of time was coming or snow was. As I was hoping for snow to be the answer I checked the tv when we got home. Yep...snow. The funny thing is that the prediction was that they were not predicting until the snow started. Now forgive me .... but isn't that the same as the weatherman being on tv, opening the window and saying, "Today will be cold and rainy." This being after he gets rained on as he leans out the window. So, the oh so optimistic self that I am went to bed dreaming of the beach...not the snow!

We woke up this morning to ... SNOW! Geez...predicting the 4am forecast at 3:30am did the weatherman right! This is the first snow here (that I have seen) in like 9 years. Amazing that there are some kids here that have never seen snow! The travesty! LitlBit was so very excited. We postponed a trip to Ohio to visit friends (and their snow) when the old car had a hiccup (yes, a hiccup...it was having a bad day on Valleydale). So, seeing this just made her day! We went out and made a baby snowman complete with m&m eyes, sucker arms, a sweetheart candy nose and a nerds mouth. LitlBit played and played and played. She (and I) tried to get our dog to join the games but Haley would have nothing of it. After looking at the pictures I understand why though...she was the target of some of LitlBit's snowballs! Later in the day we went out and played with the neighborhood kiddos across the street (and down the street...I think it turned into a block party). I got hammered in the snowball fight of 2009! Those kids have some arms on them! The Braves would do good to have them on their team right now! When we went in LitlBit had about enough. She played outside most all of the morning. Going through two outfits from getting so wet was getting old I think. She then stayed in her playroom cutting/gluing pictures with the window open watching the snow and Diego on her tv. Oh to be three again!

The winter weather was great today! I am a bit diappointed that it was on a weekend (just like every kid in Birmingham is disappointed I imagine). But, I am glad that Anna saw some snow, I got to be a kid for awhile AND I was able to go out and about late this afternoon. All in all it was a perfect winter wonderland in Helena today!